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{{For|the Louisville, Kentucky radio station that held the WPTI call sign from 2000 to 2008|WRKA}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Update|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox radio station
___location = [[Eden, North Carolina|Eden]]/[[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]/[[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]]|▼
| name = WPTI
| logo
| logo_size = 200px
format = [[Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio]] |▼
| city = [[Eden, North Carolina]]
▲| area
|
|
| airdate = {{start date and age|1949|3|20}} (as WLOE-FM)
| erp = 100,000 [[watt]]s
| haat = {{convert|299|meters}}
| class = C1
| facility_id = 55754
| coordinates = {{Coord|36|20|48|N|79|54|30|W|type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning = [[Piedmont Triad]] (region served)<br>[[Piedmont Triad International Airport|International]] ([[IATA airport code]])
| former_callsigns = WLOE-FM (1949–1968)<br />WEAF (1968–1980)<br />WSRQ (1980–1984)<br />WWWI (1984–1986)<br />WKLM (1986–1987)<br />WWMY (1987–1991)<br />WMKG (1991–1992)<br />WNEU (1992–1994)<br />WXRA (1994–2001)<br />WWCC (2001–2003)<br />WGBT (2003–2009)
| affiliations = [[Compass Media Networks]]<br>[[Premiere Networks]]
| network = [[Fox News Radio]]
| owner = [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]
| licensee = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations = [[WMAG]], [[WMKS]], [[WTQR]], [[WVBZ]]
| webcast = [https://www.iheart.com/live/945-wpti-1617/ Listen Live]
| website = [https://945wpti.iheart.com/ 945wpti.iheart.com]
}}
'''WPTI''' (94.5 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[radio station]], owned by [[iHeartMedia]], [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Eden, North Carolina]], and serving the [[Piedmont Triad]], including the [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]]–[[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]]–[[High Point, North Carolina|High Point]] [[media market]]. The station broadcasts a [[talk radio]] [[radio format|format]]; its [[radio studio|studios]] and offices are located on Pai Park near [[Interstate 40]] in Greensboro.
WPTI has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 100,000 [[watt]]s, the current maximum for FM stations. The signal provides at least secondary coverage from the southern suburbs of [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] to the western suburbs of [[Raleigh-Durham]]. The [[transmitter]] is located further north than most of the major Triad stations, allowing much of [[Southside Virginia]] ([[Martinsville, Virginia|Martinsville]], [[Danville, Virginia|Danville]]) to get a city-grade signal. The [[radio masts and towers|tower]] is on Lowe Road in [[Madison, North Carolina|Madison]].<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Wpti&nav=home Radio-Locator.com/WPTI]</ref> WPTI broadcasts using [[HD Radio]] technology and formerly carried the iHeartRadio replay channel of the syndicated music show "On the Move with Enrique Santos", heard mostly on [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40]] stations, on its HD-2 [[digital subchannel]]. The HD-2 subchannel has since been turned off.
==Programming==
Weekdays on WPTI begin with a North Carolina-based news and information show hosted by K.C. O'Dea, shared with co-owned [[WTKK]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]. The rest of the weekday schedule is made up of [[Radio syndication|nationally syndicated]] talk shows, most of them from co-owned [[Premiere Networks]]: ''[[The Glenn Beck Radio Program]], [[The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show]], [[The Sean Hannity Show]], [[The Ramsey Show]] with [[Dave Ramsey]], [[The Jesse Kelly Show]], [[Coast to Coast AM]] with [[George Noory]]'' and ''[[This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal]]''.
Shows on money, health and technology are heard weekends, some of which are paid [[brokered programming]]. Weekend programs include ''[[Michael D. Brown|The Weekend with Michael Brown]], [[Ben Ferguson|The Ben Ferguson Show]], [[The Tech Guy|Rich DeMuro on Tech]]'' and ''[[Bill Cunningham (talk show host)|Sunday Night Live with Bill Cunningham]].'' WPTI is the Triad's FM [[network affiliate|affiliate]] of the [[Tar Heel Sports Network]], which broadcasts [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|Tar Heels football]] and [[basketball]] games. An update from [[Fox News Radio]] is heard at the beginning of most hours.
==History==
===Beautiful Music and Country===
On {{start date and age|1949|3|20}}, the station first [[sign-on|signed on]] the air. The original [[call sign]] was '''WLOE-FM''', [[simulcast]] with its [[AM broadcasting|AM]] [[sister station]] 1490 [[WLOE]]. In 1968 the station switched call letters to '''WEAF''' as a [[beautiful music]] outlet, programmed separately from the AM station. WEAF played quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumental [[cover version]]s of popular songs as well as [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] show tunes. It later took the call letters '''WSRQ'''.
In 1984, the station increased power to 100,000 watts, relocated its studios to Greensboro, and switched to [[country music]] as '''WWWI''' "I-95," competing against the market's entrenched and top-rated country outlet, [[WTQR]]. Later the name was changed to "I-94.5"{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} to help listeners more easily find the station during the time that digital tuners were replacing traditional analog receivers.
In 1986 the call letters were switched to '''WKLM''' "Classy 94.5" when the station returned to beautiful music.<ref>Jeff Borden, "The Readers Write: "'Beautiful Music' Listeners Find Ways to Fill Void After WZXI Format Switch," ''The Charlotte Observer'', April 14, 1986.</ref> Later the name changed to '''WWMY''' "My 94.5", though the format remained the same.<ref>Bradley Johnson, "Aiming for an Audience," ''Greensboro News & Record'', July 20, 1987.</ref>
===Soft AC and Country===
WWMY switched to [[Soft Adult Contemporary]] music in 1990, later changing to the new call letters '''WMKG''' and the name "Magic Lite" when [[WMAG]] began providing the station's programming.
In 1992, WMKG became '''WNEU''' "New Country 94.5", later changing its name to "Cat Country".<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Sutter |title=Triad Radio Stations Plan Marketing Staff Mergers |work=Greensboro News & Record |date=1991-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Maria C. |last=Johnson |title=Radio Stations Fighting for Fans |work=Greensboro News & Record |date=1993-05-20}}</ref>
[[Image:WGBT logo.png|left|thumb|"La Preciosa" logo]]
===Alternative Rock, Top 40 and Regional Mexican===
The purchase of WNEU by Radio Equity Partners was announced in July 1994 and it was believed the station would become the "rocking country cousin" to [[WTQR]].<ref name=Sprouse>{{cite news |last=Sprouse |first=Catherine |title=Rock 'n a hard place |work=Triad Business News |date=1994-09-22 |page=1 }}</ref> On September 22, 1994, the station became '''WXRA''' "94.5 the Rock Alternative", playing [[modern rock]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Folk |title=Ex-Country Station Ready to Rock 'N' Roll |work=Greensboro News & Record |date=1994-09-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-09-30.pdf#page=12| date=1994-09-30 |access-date=2023-09-19| title=Greensboro's Country WNEU Goes Rock|page=12}}</ref> from the 80s and 90s for listeners 18 to 34.<ref name=Sprouse/> Later in the 90s, the station began playing a mix of old and new rock and called itself "The Rock Station". Around [[New Year's Day]], 2001, WXRA's format moved to [[WMKS|100.3 FM]], with 94.5 FM becoming '''WWCC''', a classic-leaning [[country music]] station. Ratings for this format were poor. On February 24, 2003, WWCC became '''WGBT''', and flipped to a [[Rhythmic Top 40]] format as "94.5 The Beat."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2003/RR-2003-02-28.pdf#page=16 |access-date=2023-09-19|date=2003-02-28 |title=WWCC/Greensboro Flips To CHR/Rhythmic|page=16}}</ref>
On February 16, 2006, at 5 p.m., after playing "[[Don't Forget About Us]]" by [[Mariah Carey]], WGBT switched to a Spanish-language classic hits format as "La Preciosa."<ref>{{cite news |title=94.5 FM Becomes La Preciosa |url=http://www.wxii12.com/news/7113120/detail.html |work=WXII12 |access-date=2007-10-24}}</ref> The station played [[Regional Mexican music]] from the 70s, 80s and 90s. As such, WGBT became The Triad's first FM Spanish-language radio station (and the second in North Carolina). This made the fourth distinctly different radio format in five years to be broadcast on the 94.5 frequency in the Greensboro market.
===Talk Radio===
At the end of 2009, the [[Curtis Media Group]] announced that its [[WSJS]]/[[WSML]] news talk simulcast would no longer carry [[The Rush Limbaugh Show]].<ref name=rush>[http://www.rushradio945.com Rush Radio 94.5]</ref><ref name=wxii>{{cite news|url=http://www.wxii12.com/news/21499776/detail.html|title=Conservative Talkers Moving To FM In Triad|publisher=wxii.com|date=2009-11-02|access-date=2009-11-03}}</ref> On December 31, 2009, WGBT ended its Regional Mexican format, becoming talk station "Rush Radio 94.5" under the new call sign '''WPTI'''. The station aired weekend-long continuous replays of ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show|The Rush Limbaugh Week in Review]]'' through New Year's weekend. The [[Glenn Beck Program]] and a local show called ''The Morning Rush'' hosted by Bill Flynn and Pamela Furr debuted January 4.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/01/07/article/radio_host_shifts_to_the_right_with_a_new_station|title=Radio host shifts to the right with a new station|last=Rowe|first=Jeri|work=[[News & Record]]|date=2010-01-07|access-date=2010-01-21}}</ref> On July 26, 2010, WPTI added the [[Sean Hannity Show]] to its schedule.
Following [[Rush Limbaugh–Sandra Fluke controversy|controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh regarding Sandra Fluke]], WPTI was asked by the university not to promote the Tar Heel Sports Network during ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/22/1951094/unc-distances-itself-from-rush.html|title=UNC distances itself from Rush Limbaugh|last=Cain|first=Brooke|work=[[News & Observer]]|date=2012-03-22|access-date=2012-03-22}}</ref>
In November 2010, the station canceled ''The Morning Rush'' with Flynn and Pamela Furr (although Furr continued anchoring news for both WPTI and [[WTKK|WRDU]]). After Christmas 2010, Dmitri Vassilaros began hosting the morning show.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-story-rush-radio-host-101210,0,7694200.story|title=Rush Radio Hires New Morning Show Host|work=[[WGHP]]|date=2010-12-10|access-date=2011-01-25}}</ref> In 2011, WPTI replaced Vassilaros with K.C. O'Dea.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www2.journalnow.com/lifestyles/2011/sep/01/1/wsmain02-ask-sam-straight-answers-ar-1348942/
|title=Ask SAM: Straight Answers|work=[[Winston-Salem Journal]]|date=2011-09-01|access-date=2011-09-02}}</ref>
On May 24, 2013, WPTI dropped its "Rush Radio 94.5" branding, switching to "94.5 WPTI".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/82176/less-rush-for-wpti-greensboro/|title=Less Rush for WPTI Greensboro|date=24 May 2013 }}</ref> Limbaugh died of lung cancer in February 2021. WPTI began airing his replacement, Clay Travis & Buck Sexton, that June.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{FM station data|55754|WPTI}}
*[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=83302 FCC History Cards] (covering 1949-1981 as WLOE-FM / WEAF / WSRQ)
{{Piedmont Triad Radio}}
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in North Carolina}}
{{IHeartMedia}}
[[Category:Radio stations in
[[Category:
[[Category:
[[Category:1950 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:IHeartMedia radio stations]]
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